It’s happening again: some prophetic ministry is currently predicting the end of the world based on another conspiracy to unite the world’s governments into a One World Government. This time it’s supposedly scheduled to happen in December this year.
Such predictions come in cycles. Last time it came around, a new currency was apparently already in print and the New World Order was supposed to begin by early 1980.
Of course it didn’t happen. And similar failed predictions can be traced back through the ages.
But here’s a question: even if the whole of Europe does unite under one Government in December, how can that be a basis for asserting that Christ must return in our generation? Similar unions have happened before, and it didn’t mean the end of the world.
In fact, such unions haven’t always been a bad thing. For example, the United States of America began by a union of 13 independent colonies and grew over the next 172 years to become a union of 50 States, in the process also unifying over 500 indigenous nations. With all its imperfections, was that union a bad thing? In many ways it enhanced the spread of the Gospel. It certainly didn’t mean the end of the world.
Similarly Australia began by a Federation of six independent States and grew over 88 years to become a Commonwealth with 16 States and territories, in the process also unifying over 400 indigenous nations. With all its imperfections, has that union been a bad thing? In many ways it also enhanced the spread of the Gospel. It certainly didn’t mean the end of the world.
Go back further in history. The formation of the United Kingdom united at least three separate Kingdoms, kingdoms which had already united several separate nations and tribal groups before them. The Union may have begun with hostility – but it didn’t mean the end of the world. In fact, the Union became the largest empire in human history and its members became responsible for much of the spread of the Gospel around the world over ensuing centuries.
So unions aren’t always a bad thing – and they certainly don’t automatically indicate the end of the world.
Europe consists of about 50 or so nations. Equally large and far larger unions have already taken place in history, even in Europe - without eschatological significance. So another European Union won’t automatically mean the end of the world either.
Even if such a union becomes a bad thing instead of a good thing, we still can’t assert on that basis alone that it automatically means the end of the world – because some similarly not-so-good unions have already come and gone without it being the end of the world.
Like the Soviet Union. And Nazi Germany. The Ottoman Empire. The Byzantine Empire. And of course the Roman Empire. Each of these unions – not to mention Genghis Khan’s enormous Mongol Empire – took place in exactly the same locations that are today given so much eschatological significance – and yet they didn’t mean the end of the world. So why should it be the end of the world now, just because some European leaders in October discussed some sort of a union for the purpose of dealing with climate change?
If you are going to assert that ours must be the last generation, you’re going to need a stronger basis than that. Otherwise your prediction might be at risk of being added to history’s long list of fizzled end-times predictions.
Why do men keep getting it wrong? Because Jesus said:
“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (Mark 13:32).
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
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